Bill Granger recipe: White fish and squash curry soup

Serves 4

White fish and squash curry soup (Kristin Perers)

Delicious and nourishing, this is the soup to turn to when the first winter sniffles start to appear.

1 tbsp light-flavoured oil
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 lemongrass stalk, cut in 3 sections
1 tbsp curry powder
750ml good-quality vegetable or chicken stock
300ml tin reduced-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp caster sugar
400g squash
450g firm white fish, cut into chunks
Few stalks tenderstem broccoli, cut into 4cm lengths
250g thin rice noodles (soaked in boiling water, drained and rinsed)
1 red chilli, sliced into rounds
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced

Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and lemongrass and cook, stirring, until golden. Add the curry powder and continue stirring for 30 seconds. Add the stock, 500ml water, coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar. Bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer. Peel the squash, cut into chunks, and add to the soup. Poach gently for about 10 to 12 minutes, until tender. Add the fish and broccoli and simmer for 2 more minutes.

Place the noodles into four noodle bowls, cover with the soup and dress with the red chilli and red onion.